


we can make a family

by sekhmettt



Series: fate chose me and you [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Rare Pairings, Slow Build, Stream of Consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sekhmettt/pseuds/sekhmettt
Summary: Ned is concerned to find that he might be starting to fall in love with his wife. What a strange problem to have.
Relationships: Elia Martell/Ned Stark
Series: fate chose me and you [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917352
Comments: 21
Kudos: 189
Collections: Southern Renaissance (Dorne Renaissance)





	we can make a family

Rhaenys reminds him of Ben, when he was that age, for all the Ned had only gotten a few scant months with him before heading to the Vale. Despite all that had happened to her, she has a near insatiable curiosity.

_What’s a godswood?_

_What’s a weirwood?_

_Who are the Old Gods?_

_How old is Winterfell?_

_Why is the direwolf your sigil?_

_Can I have a pet direwolf?_

_What are your words?_

_When is winter coming?_

_Isn’t snow only in the winter?_

_Is summer snow different from winter snow?_

_Will you teach me out to make snowballs? A snow man – no! A snow knight! With a snow castle! Oh please, please can we?_

Ned is weak to her, sweet, angelic little girl that she was. As such, he spends far too many a day out in the snows with her, building snow knights and snow castles and even snow cats, if it caught her fancy. Far more days than any other Lord spent with their children, and it is just another reminder that _he isn’t meant for this_.

He _shouldn’t_ be the Lord of Winterfell. That should be father or Brandon. And while he felt confident enough during the war, all the confidence has drained to nothing with the knowledge that he’d fought for nothing, that his cause was wrong, that his sister had never been kidnapped. He’d made a mistake and who knows how many Northern men died because of it. He is not fit to be the Lord of Winterfell or the Warden of the North and he fears that even if it isn’t obvious now, soon everyone will recognize as much.

Elia, however, is a godsend and undeniably meant to be the Lady of Winterfell, if nothing something even grander. She takes to running a castle with an ease he never would, but then, she had been born for it. And the people love her for it, common folk and nobles alike. He’d feared backlash, after marrying a second Southern woman, but it seems his lords recognized that the only other option for Elia was something _horrible._

For a time, they all seem to treat her like glass, gentling their words, using all their courtesies, and amusing Ned to no end. What happened to the loud, stubborn, bawdy lords he knew? They seem to melt like snow before the sun when his wife was around, puddles made of soft, gentlemanly natures.

Yet, the rare few treat her like a piteous abused dog that Ned brought home and is now stuck with, something that infuriates him to no end and that he hopes Elia never notices. Wily old Karstark has even tried to usher his sister Ned’s way, insistent that if Ned could legitimize one bastard as heir, then surely he’d love another as spare?

Ned had put an end to _that_ idea rather quickly, angrier than he’d ever remembered being. Karstark still hadn’t come back to his halls, wise to how offended his suggestion had made his liege. He makes it pointedly clear that Elia was his _wife_ , despite what some may wish, and would hear _nothing_ about placing her aside or supplementing her with a mistress. She is more than enough, more than he deserved. He only prays she never hears of the incident.

And within a few short months, she only continues to show her spine of steel and the surprising ease with which she accustoms herself to the North. It garners further respect from the bannermen, who seemed to begrudgingly acknowledge she makes a fine Lady of Winterfell, despite her lack of ability to give him an heir, or, perhaps more heinous in their eyes, her Southern blood.

And, Ned is embarrassed to admit, even to himself, that his respect for her is very quickly turning into admiration and into something _more_. She is kind and fierce in equal turns. She loves Jon as if she birthed him herself. She has a dry, quick witted humor that surprises him every time she decides to show it. And he fears deeply that he is beginning to fall in love with his wife.

And oh, what a ridiculous problem to have. But it is a problem nonetheless. She doesn’t care for like that, and he doesn’t blame her. He tries hard to avoid being her jailor, but there is no denying how their marriage started, nor that it started within a few moons of her past husband’s death. He doesn’t know her feelings for Rhaegar, and is too scared to ask. Either way, he knows it highly unlikely that she can come to care for him, not given the circumstances.

Even if she calls him Ned now.

Their conversations are interesting, if nothing else. She tells him of Dorne and her brothers. He tells her of the Vale and Winterfell, and even manages to mention his own siblings on occasion, though he avoids mention of Lyanna when possible. Or he tries. She pushes him about it, seemingly holding no grudge against his sister, despite everything, despite the anger Ned himself feels for her, underneath all the grief. Perhaps that is why he is coming to love Elia. She is forgiving beyond measure and she seems to know without his saying when he needs to talk about his family, how it helps him grieve.

Even without the heaviness of their pasts, they talk about their futures. Elia tells him about improvements he could make to the glass houses, given they are also prevalent in Dorne to protect from the heat, rather than the cold, and the next crop yields are near double what they were before. Ned offers to build her a sept, and she graciously assures him that it isn’t necessary, that if the gods are truly with her, they won’t begrudge her lack of a sept to pray in. Elia asks him about lessons for Rhaenys, seems wary when she asks if the girl could learn to defend herself when she is old enough. Ned sees no issue with it given that Elia supports it, and simply informs her about the Mormont women.

Despite all of this, Ned believes they’ve built nothing but a strong friendship, and he does not begrudge her any reticence to take it further. They share kisses, on occasion, but they are chaste, short things. They hold hands, take strolls, almost like a courting couple. Yet, he doesn’t act her husband, doesn’t go to her bed, doesn’t want to push himself onto his wife when she is disinterested.

That doesn’t mean that he’s blind to what he’s beginning to feel. Especially when he spends more time than he means to with her miniature copy, Rhaenys, who has her mother’s eyes and nose and mouth and skin and hair. But it’s easier to show his love for her children. It’s natural to comfort Rhaenys when her nightmares come, to hold Aegon’s hands as he precariously toddles along through the snow, to teach Rhaenys about the history and houses of the North, to toss Aegon into the air and smile at his laughter.

As it is, he is chasing Rhaenys, who is chasing Balerion, through the hall when he hears Elia’s sweet laughter. Swerving round the corner, he sees Elia crouched down, Jon cradled to her chest, Aegon toddling at her side, and a hand caught in Balerion’s scruff, Rhaenys near bouncing on her toes in her eagerness to grab the cat back. Her eyes dart from her daughter to Ned, and her laugh goes a moment longer. “Are you bothering Ned, Rhae?” she asks, tone scolding even as she ushers the grumpy looking cat over to the girl.

“No! When Balerion and I went to his solar, he said we were saving him from doing his sums!” Ned can feel himself flush as Elia lets out another little giggle at Rhaenys’ words. It’s true. He’d jumped at the opportunity to spend time with the children, rather than go over the collected taxes of the last moon, irresponsible as that was.

“Well, aren’t you kind. But play time is over. You need to get cleaned up. Supper is soon.” Rhaenys makes a show of whining and groaning, but still obediently heads to her room, Balerion wrapped in her arms. Elia goes to stand, and Ned hurries over to help her, unbalanced as she might be with Jon and Aegon clinging to her.

Once she’s steady, he nearly stutters in her haste to assure her, “I’m not disregarding my duties. It was nothing important.” Her expression softens, smile quirking her lips.

“I know Ned. You’re one of the most dutiful men I’ve ever met.” She shifts Jon to rest him on her hip, poking Ned in the chest, “But the point stands, supper is soon and after running through the halls, you need to clean up too.” She teased, and Ned chuckled, glancing down as Aegon tugged on his pants. The boy is going through a phase of sticking his thumb in his mouth and Ned tugs it gently free before lifting him into his arms.

“I will, but let me help you with the boys first, yeah?” Because he can tell at just a glance that they both need baths as well.

Elia hums, turning to settle beside him, teasing, “I _suppose_ I can allow it.” And for Ned, so long as she continues to allow him by her side, it’s enough.

**Author's Note:**

> This is almost like a prequel to the next part of the series, but it gives a pretty good look at Ned's thoughts. Next part is actually almost done because I started writing it, then decided that I needed Ned's opinion before I posted it. 
> 
> And hey, we have a certain young brother coming to visit next time around. Hint: it's not the one all the way in the North at the Wall, but instead on the opposite side of the country. ;)
> 
> Anyway, if you have the money to spare, feel free to buy me a [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/sekhmettt) in this trying time. God knows I need it. If you do and have a fic request, let me know and I’ll definitely give it my best shot. <3


End file.
